The professor's nightmare is always in my pocket, along with sponge balls. Excellent video my friend...Thank you for this amazing history lesson of one of my favorite pocket tricks.
I first met Bob Carver as a teenager in my hometown of Macon, Ga. I spent many a day in the used bookstore near Mercer University where he worked part time, absorbing everything I could regarding magic. I also attended meetings at the Middle Georgia Magic Club where Bob was also a member. He was such a genuinely kind person and a great mentor to me at a pivotal age. Fond memories of him include attending a SAM magic convention in Augusta with him, and the occasions when he would turn off HBO’s scrambler at Cox Cables tower where he also worked. He did this whenever a magic special came on HBO just so I could watch, as we were pretty poor. I miss him dearly…
Thank you so much for all the history and detail. This is in my show and I'm going to use some of the facts you are discussing as part of my script. Thanks so much!
Hi David, thank-you for another very interesting video. There is a great section about the Professor's nightmare in Gene Gordon's Book: Magical Legacy pg 218. What always amazes me when I try to track the history of an effect is how rarely there really is a definitive answer to the question of paternity of magic effects, and I must say Richard Kaufman's quote surprises me somewhat, because as you point out for this particular effect it is far from straight forward. Thank-you for spending the time bringing this information together because it is so important to remember where the great magic comes from - something that people seem to forget more and more these days. Great job and keep them coming!
what you talk about the perfect trick :D and the professor's nightmare has it all but also you can literally take any robe and prepare it. After doing one I made another 3 or four sets with different types of robe and to have back up. I also like you can do it over and over, the rest part you mentioned.
@@DavidDellman i have plastic linking rings, always wanted metal ones. I do have the egg bag. That is the one you turn inside out but still produce stuff from right? I also like that you mention innovation and working with what you got. The one video I have my wife using the camera picks a card, i then throw a fireball into a pan setting it on fire. And put the lid in to snuff it out, when i open it the selected card is inside. Its kinda just stringing effects together but it makes for an interesting presentation.
@@BlazeLeeDragon I have a ring routine posted down below. I do Vernon's Symphony of the Rings. I prefer metal rings and relatively large ones for visibility but also because they ring when you knock them together, a non-verbal "proof" that the rings are solid. I use the Max Malini egg bag, it's small and black, and yes, you can "prove" it empty but still produce and vanish an egg from it. One of my mentor's Phil Thomas once handed me a cheezy plastic prop and told me to show him a great trick with it within a week. It was an exercise I never forgot. At the moment, I can afford to purchase props. That was not always the case. Necessity really is the mother of invention.
@@DavidDellman Was never a big fan of the "rings" until I saw Martin Lewis' version (it's on TH-cam) a few years ago. And that's ironic because the rings were the first trick I bought, lol.
The PN is a perfect trick, especially for a newcomer. I only wish I had seen it when I started 50 years ago. I don't know how I missed it I think I have often seen it described as a beginner's trick but I don't recall ever seeing it in any book I have (I'll have to check the Conjuring Archive). I'm not sure when and where I first ran into it, it might have been a Michael Finney DVD and later of course the excellent L&L PN DVD. But the version that captured me was Richard Sander's Fiber Optics. If you want to do PN and take it a level above I can't recommend the L&L and Sanders' videos highly enough.
Just like you need a great starter in order to make a quality loaf of sourdough bread, The Professor’s Nightmare is a great piece of magic that allows the magician to creat fantastic magic. The effect is not only university appealing, it naturally lends itself as a starter, intermediate, or closer to a fine rope routine.
I read on the Vanishing Inc website that "before he could be awarded the IBM Originality Trophy in 1957, Bob Carver had to expose his creation's pure sleight-of-hand method to the judges." Do you know if there is any truth to this?
In the reading I have done on the events and the effect I have not encountered that story. I am not saying that the story is not true. All I am saying is that I can't verify it.
PN is one of my go to effects for walk around and parlor magic. Love it's simplicity.
I love it. It's in almost every show I do. A sure crowd pleaser
The professor's nightmare is always in my pocket, along with sponge balls. Excellent video my friend...Thank you for this amazing history lesson of one of my favorite pocket tricks.
One of the all-time great "packs flat plays big" effects
I first met Bob Carver as a teenager in my hometown of Macon, Ga. I spent many a day in the used bookstore near Mercer University where he worked part time, absorbing everything I could regarding magic. I also attended meetings at the Middle Georgia Magic Club where Bob was also a member. He was such a genuinely kind person and a great mentor to me at a pivotal age. Fond memories of him include attending a SAM magic convention in Augusta with him, and the occasions when he would turn off HBO’s scrambler at Cox Cables tower where he also worked. He did this whenever a magic special came on HBO just so I could watch, as we were pretty poor. I miss him dearly…
Thank you so much for sharing these great memories
Turning off the scrambler for a magic special, that is a supermensch!
Great video, thanks!
I'm glad you enjoyed it, Tony.
Thank you so much for all the history and detail. This is in my show and I'm going to use some of the facts you are discussing as part of my script. Thanks so much!
@@magicbymccauley that is awesome. Thanks for sharing
best channel on youtube!! i love it. thankks
Wow, Rodney, and that is the best compliment I have had on this channel. Thank you so much. Is there a topic you would like to see covered?
Another great video, please do cover other classic routines.
Will do Mexie. I'm glad you liked it
Hi David, thank-you for another very interesting video.
There is a great section about the Professor's nightmare in Gene Gordon's Book: Magical Legacy pg 218. What always amazes me when I try to track the history of an effect is how rarely there really is a definitive answer to the question of paternity of magic effects, and I must say Richard Kaufman's quote surprises me somewhat, because as you point out for this particular effect it is far from straight forward.
Thank-you for spending the time bringing this information together because it is so important to remember where the great magic comes from - something that people seem to forget more and more these days.
Great job and keep them coming!
I have not read Gene Gordon's book! You do know what that means don't you? Time to search and spend! LOL Thanks for calling my attention to it.
what you talk about the perfect trick :D and the professor's nightmare has it all but also you can literally take any robe and prepare it. After doing one I made another 3 or four sets with different types of robe and to have back up. I also like you can do it over and over, the rest part you mentioned.
It is one of the "classics." Other examples being the Linking Rings, and the Egg Bag.
@@DavidDellman i have plastic linking rings, always wanted metal ones. I do have the egg bag. That is the one you turn inside out but still produce stuff from right?
I also like that you mention innovation and working with what you got. The one video I have my wife using the camera picks a card, i then throw a fireball into a pan setting it on fire. And put the lid in to snuff it out, when i open it the selected card is inside. Its kinda just stringing effects together but it makes for an interesting presentation.
@@BlazeLeeDragon I have a ring routine posted down below. I do Vernon's Symphony of the Rings. I prefer metal rings and relatively large ones for visibility but also because they ring when you knock them together, a non-verbal "proof" that the rings are solid. I use the Max Malini egg bag, it's small and black, and yes, you can "prove" it empty but still produce and vanish an egg from it. One of my mentor's Phil Thomas once handed me a cheezy plastic prop and told me to show him a great trick with it within a week. It was an exercise I never forgot. At the moment, I can afford to purchase props. That was not always the case. Necessity really is the mother of invention.
@@DavidDellman Was never a big fan of the "rings" until I saw Martin Lewis' version (it's on TH-cam) a few years ago. And that's ironic because the rings were the first trick I bought, lol.
The PN is a perfect trick, especially for a newcomer. I only wish I had seen it when I started 50 years ago. I don't know how I missed it I think I have often seen it described as a beginner's trick but I don't recall ever seeing it in any book I have (I'll have to check the Conjuring Archive). I'm not sure when and where I first ran into it, it might have been a Michael Finney DVD and later of course the excellent L&L PN DVD. But the version that captured me was Richard Sander's Fiber Optics. If you want to do PN and take it a level above I can't recommend the L&L and Sanders' videos highly enough.
as always AWESOME, I just wish you'd do the tricks too from time to time :) but your videos are very addicting and enjoyable.
Scroll down through my history, and you will see some performances. I have posted a performance of the Professor's Nightmare twice on this vlog
@@DavidDellman ah cool, still digging only seen about 13 of your videos so far :) but yeah I'll check it out. thanks!
Wonderful history lesson. I myself have done the 3 ropes effect. 😊👍👍
I'm glad you liked it Robert
Just like you need a great starter in order to make a quality loaf of sourdough bread, The Professor’s Nightmare is a great piece of magic that allows the magician to creat fantastic magic. The effect is not only university appealing, it naturally lends itself as a starter, intermediate, or closer to a fine rope routine.
Good point Dean, it does fit well almost anywhere in the act
I thought it was Paul Youngs trick. But I gotta give it to Gene.😎
Like most great effects, it seems to be there are "versions" or predecessors floating around.
It's a dream (haha) on the streets also!
Oh yea, you can do it busking too
I read on the Vanishing Inc website that "before he could be awarded the IBM Originality Trophy in 1957, Bob Carver had to expose his creation's pure sleight-of-hand method to the judges." Do you know if there is any truth to this?
In the reading I have done on the events and the effect I have not encountered that story. I am not saying that the story is not true. All I am saying is that I can't verify it.